Brewer: Obama to Work on Immigration

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer emerged upbeat from a White House meeting with President Barack Obama, boasting that the president agreed to send federal officials to her state to engage in “some really direct dialogue” on Arizona’s new immigration law.

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer speaks to reporters outside the White House Thursday, after a private meeting with President Barack Obama. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Brewer, a Republican, said her Oval Office meeting had been “cordial,” but a White House statement on the meeting suggested tough topics had been raised. The White House said the president “reiterated his concern” about the law and listened to Brewer’s concerns, but told her that his administration had reduced border crime and illegal immigration.

Brewer said Obama didn’t directly discuss a potential federal lawsuit against her state, instead indicating that it was an issue for the Department of Justice.

The Arizona governor signed a bill in April that requires law enforcement officials to question people stopped in the course of duty who they reasonably believe to be in the U.S. illegally. Opponents argue that it could lead to racial profiling.

Brewer said she and Obama had “agreed to come together to find some solutions” on how to overhaul the country’s immigration system. She did not provide details, but told reporters that she believed that securing the border was an essential first step.

The two also discussed the deployment of National Guard troops to the border, and suggested she would know more about that after federal officials visited her state.

“I feel very confident that what we have done in the past is the right thing to do,” Brewer said. “I believe that we are protecting the people of Arizona … and the people of America.”
Brewer described the president as a “well-learned” man and lawyer. But when asked if she believed he had read the Arizona law, she only smiled.

While Brewer and Obama met, some 150 activists from an immigration-reform coalition protested outside the White House, shouting, “Jan Brewer, shame on you.”

“We wanted to make the point that you can’t negotiate racism,” said Kim Propeack, from the Hispanic advocacy group Casa de Maryland.

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